Helen Wong Smith

Archivist for University Records at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Certified Archivist Helen Wong Smith has over 35 years experience in historical repositories in Hawaiʻi. A B.A. in Hawaiian Studies and MLIS from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, she has held numerous positions including Executive Director of the Kauaʻi Historical Society, Lead Archivist for the Pacific Island Network of the National Park Service, and Librarian/Archivist for the State Historic Preservation Division.  Elected President of Hawaiian Library Association (1997-98), Hawaiian Historical Society (2013-14) and twice of the Association of Hawaiʻi Archivists (2000-01, 2007-08), she was named a Distinguished Fellow of SAA in 2016 and became its 78th President in July 2023.

Since delivering a plenary address “Adopting Cultural Diversity Competence” at SAAʻs 2015 Annual Meeting Helen has been sharing how cultural competency can advance cultural heritage professions training organizations i.e. SAA, Hawaiʻi Museum Association, Museum Study, Black Metropolis Research Consortium (Chicago), and the Council of State Archives, who awarded her the CoSA President’s Award for Excellence in 2022.  She and Dr. Rebecca Hankins successfully proposed cultural competency as a new domain to the Academy of Certified Archivist and she co-chaired the Task Force to establish the knowledge statements and recommended readings to prepare for this domain.  

Helen has served as an ambassador of Hawaiian cultural heritage repositories, bringing little-known collections and shares her expertise providing workshops and guidance for community repositories to adhere to professional best practices.